The Tigers have no reason to make any changes to their postseason starting rotation. So they won’t.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that Justin Verlander will start Game 1, Doug Fister will start Game 2, Anibal Sanchez will start Game 3 and Max Scherzer will start Game 4 no matter which team — Cardinals or Giants — his club winds up facing in the 2012 World Series.

Those four registered a 0.66 ERA last round against the Yankees, allowing just two runs on 14 hits over 27 1/3 combined innings. That’s the second-best mark in a best-of-seven, behind only the 1966 Orioles.

The difference is so marginal it’s hardly worth noting. He’s a career .091/.146/.099 hitter. It’s not like he’s Carlos Zambrano or Stephen Strasburg, both of whom are actually pretty decent with the bat–Strasburg hit .277/.333/.426 this year for a 108 wRC+ and .7 WAR.

Unless the Tigers get manhandled in one of the first 3 games I see no reason to bring Verlander back on short rest. The way their starting pitching is going I think giving him “normal” rest is fine, unless a must-win situation comes up.